About

Cornell is a leader in the emerging field of Discipline-Based Education Research that explores teaching and learning from the perspective of a particular discipline, such as biology.  This interdisciplinary field draws on knowledge and methodologies from social science, psychology, education, and cognitive science research, with the goal of enhancing student learning and instructor teaching.

ALI at Cornell:

Exciting things are happening in classrooms throughout the College of Arts & Sciences as new approaches to teaching spread through the disciplines, fueled by research pointing the way to better pedagogical approaches. The push towards creative classroom approaches has come from professors and departments deeply committed to their teaching mission. In response, the College has provided support and funding to make innovative pedagogy possible in the sciences, humanities, and social sciences.

In active learning classrooms throughout the College, the emphasis is on hands-on activities and frequent student-student and student-instructor interactions through methods such as discussion or problem solving with a partner or small group and the use of technology like iClicker audience response systems and smartphone apps to enhance learning.

Click here to learn more about education innovation in the College of Arts & Sciences

CDER Video Spotlight:

Cornell University biology alumnus in the College of Arts & Sciences, Nnana Amakiri '17, discusses his experience taking an Active Learning Initiative class from Professor Ron Harris-Warrick and how it differentiates from other traditional classes he's taken in his major.